New attendees for this show were my daughter Sofia and her two friends, Haley and Jaydn, who loaded up and made the trip down to Birmingham. The three of them kept things fun on the ride. We were headed to All Good Beverage Company for Stanley Simmons and Miles Connor, and now it was showtime!
All Good sits along the Hugh Kaul Trail at 3501 1st Avenue South. Having recently crossed its one-year milestone, the venue brings together craft beer from local favorites like Good People and Avondale, food from Trail Magic Sandwich Shop and live concerts at All Good Music Hall. It’s family-friendly, with space inside and outdoors along the trail.
Young Nashville band opens
Miles Connor is a name you should remember. He brought his sound and songs into All Good Beverage Co., mixing in a few covers such as the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby”. The band was tight and had the crowd rocking right along with them. If you’re looking to catch a young Nashville band playing some rock ’n’ roll, keep an eye on Miles.
The set ran through “Talk No More,” “Ruin My Plans,” “Birds on a Wire,” “Jump,” “Memphis,” “Eleanor Rigby” and “Hanging Around.”
Please consider Donating to Sponsor an article even $1 helps!
Back in Alabama
Here we were, once again enjoying Evan Stanley and Nick Simmons, Stanley Simmons, performing songs from their debut album live in Birmingham. Earlier this year, they performed at the John Lewis Civil Rights Award ceremony honoring Buddy Guy in Florence, Alabama. This was my fourth time seeing Evan perform. I had seen him open for his dad’s band, KISS, on the final leg of the End of the Road tour, and again with Amber Wild when they opened for Lynam at Iron City in Birmingham.
Jacob Bunton from Lynam, a friend of the band who helped them with their debut album, Dancing While the World Is Ending, was in attendance as well, showing his support. I spent a few minutes chatting with him about what he’s been up to.
The Dancing While the World Is Ending tour brought the duo to a packed All Good Music Hall ahead of the album’s October 2 streaming release. Evan and Nick carry familiar names as the sons of Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS, but the music they brought to Birmingham leaned toward folk, blues and Americana.
Dancing while the world is ending
Stanley Simmons’ rootsy sound favors crisp acoustic foundations and driving percussion, with precise, instinctual two-part vocal harmonies reminiscent of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Vintage Laurel Canyon folk and grittier singer-songwriter influences sit alongside the heavy blues and gospel-infused vocals. The interlocking voices held their place against the band’s heavier playing, too.
They kicked things off with the soaring, hypnotic title track, “Dancing While the World Is Ending,” locking into their acoustic-driven groove. From there, the band moved through the retro, psychedelic textures of “Cellophane” and the melancholic slow burn of “Cold.” In “Cold,” the disappointment sharpens into distrust as the singer realizes he no longer recognizes the person he thought he knew.
“Body Down” and “Lilith” also appeared in the set. The traditional spiritual imagery in “Body Down” reads to me as a battle cry for personal endurance: the body can be buried, but the voice in the song refuses to disappear. Its insistence suits the duo’s vocal approach, with the harmonies reinforcing the defiance.
A highlight of the night came during the bluesy stomp of “Don’t Leave Me Here Like That,” which gave the rhythm section a chance to shine and left the audience chanting along.
Another song that showed off some of Evan’s slide guitar skills was “Dystopia Boogie,” a real grinder at high speed. That one stayed with me. They closed out the evening with the swampy drive of “Real Life.”
Afterglow
My friend from Huntsville, Alabama, Leslie Phillips, was also there with her daughter Brittnee, and it was great to see them again. Derek Gunn was there too, so it was nice to meet him in person.
After the show, Evan and Nick, Miles and his band, and the rest of the Stanley Simmons band hung around in the sandwich shop at merch, chatting, signing and taking photos with their fans. They did not leave until everyone got through the line. It appeared that no one had left after the show; they were all in line to meet the musicians.
When we finished, we headed out for the long ride home. The girls lasted as long as they could, but soon all three were asleep, leaving me to reflect on the fun and the joy of them enjoying a night of music out with Dad. That made the whole thing worth it.
Until next time… Are you on the right trakks??
Please consider Donating to Sponsor an article even $1 helps!
